11. "TODAY ON NEPTUNE AND PLUTO": THE FIRST
INTERPLANETARY WEATHERCAST: VTR (to shoot 4/19/96)
VTR (01:30)
Sequence presents the currently-known facts about both
Pluto and Neptune, in the format of a "weathercast", as if
wind-speed and precipitation were of the same vital
interest to hypothetical inhabitants of Neptune and Pluto
as they are to us on Earth. The images used will be some of
those we return to explore much more fully, and more
scientifically later in the telecast.
(Depending on final arrangements with WRC, we'll need more or less "weather graphics" and other tv formatting materials, inc. stings.)
HELLO, THERE. WELCOME TO "TODAY ON NEPTUNE AND PLUTO".
WHAT KIND OF WEATHER YOU CAN EXPECT ON NEPTUNE DEPENDS ON WHERE YOU ARE. DEEP DOWN IN THE ATMOSPHERE, IT'LL BE "HOT AND HEAVY". TEMPERATURES SOAR TO THOUSANDS OF DEGREES AND PRESSURES WOULD BUST ANY BAROMETER.
HIGHER UP, TEMPERATURES COOL TO MORE LIKE WE'D FIND ON EARTH. THERE ARE PROBABLY PLACES WHERE IT'LL BE RAINING WATER, AMMONIA AND METHANE. IT'S THE METHANE WHICH ABSORBS RED LIGHT AND GIVES NEPTUNE ITS BEAUTIFUL BLUE COLOR...
STILL HIGHER, WHERE THE HUBBLE CAN SEE, EXPECT SOME CLEAR TO PARTLY CLOUDY SKIES. BUT DON'T WORRY ABOUT GETTING A SUNBURN. OUT HERE, THE SUN'S INTENSITY IS ONLY 1 / 900TH OF WHAT IT IS ON EARTH.
ELSEWHERE, SKIES ARE CLOUDY -- WITH HUGE CIRRUS CLOUDS THE SIZE OF ENTIRE EARTH CONTINENTS, MADE OF METHANE ICE CRYSTALS.
UP HERE, THERE ARE ALSO PLACES WHERE JET STREAMS BLOW AT OVER 1200 MILES PER HOUR -- FAST ENOUGH TO PROPEL STORMS FROM CALIFORNIA TO NEW YORK IN LESS THAN 2 HOURS -- THE FASTEST WINDS RECORDED ANYWHERE IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM...
WE HAVE NO PREDICTIONS OF "GREAT DARK SPOTS" OR "SCOOTERS" TODAY... BUT WE'LL BE USING THE HUBBLE TO KEEP LOOKING IN THE COMING YEARS!
(ON PLUTO)
AS FOR PLUTO... LOOK FOR WIDESPREAD FROSTS OVER
LARGE PARTS OF PLUTO TODAY, AS THE ATMOSPHERE
CHILLS OUT AND DEPOSITS ITSELF ON THE GROUND! WATCH
FOR INCREASING BRIGHT SPLOTCHES AS SEEN FROM EARTH
IN THE COMING DECADES.
DRIVING ALL THIS WILL BE FALLING TEMPERATURES. THEY WON'T BE GOING DOWN MUCH IN THE NEXT HUNDRED YEARS, BUT ENOUGH TO CHANGE THE PLANET'S SURFACE. DAYTIME HIGHS ARE EXPECTED TO REACH ABOUT 350 DEGREES >BELOW< ZERO, WHILE OVERNIGHT LOWS WILL BE SOMEWHAT COOLER.
WINDS WILL CONTINUE LIGHT, BLOWING TOWARDS PLUTO'S SOUTH POLE, AND WE THINK THEY'LL BECOME NON- EXISTENT -- ALONG WITH THE ENTIRE ATMOSPHERE! -- OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DECADES.
WELL, THAT'S BROADCAST TELEVISION'S FIRST-EVER INTERPLANETARY WEATHERCAST. OVER TO YOU, BILL..."
12. BILL: LEAD TO HST & WEATHER TAPE: LIVE/STScI
(00:20)
GUTSCH:
THANKS, DAVE JONES, BOB RYAN AND WRC-TV, FOR THAT
MOST UNUSUAL FORECAST!
chapter graphic, with WEATHER highlighted: pop-on
IN THE FIRST PART OF TODAY'S PROGRAM, WE'RE GOING TO
LOOK AT "INTERPLANETARY WEATHER", AND WHY THE HUBBLE
GIVES US A UNIQUE WAY OF STUDYING THE PLANETS OF OUR
SOLAR SYSTEM.
13. HST AND WEATHER/VTR (01:30)
"WHAT'S THE WEATHER LIKE?" IT'S A QUESTION THAT
INTERESTS EVERYONE... AFFECTING TOMORROW'S PICNIC,
THIS YEAR'S HARVEST, BECOMING A MATTER OF LIFE AND
DEATH FOR WHOLE NATIONS.
HARSH WINTERS... POWERFUL HURRICANES... SUDDENLY HUMANS ARE REMINDED OF PLANET-WIDE PHENOMENA BEYOND THEIR CONTROL.
UNDERSTANDING EARTH'S WEATHER MEANS USING ALL THE TOOLS OF MODERN METEOROLOGY -- INCLUDING SATELLITES LOOKING DOWN -- AND MAYBE WE'LL EVEN FIND MORE CLUES BY LOOKING FAR BEYOND EARTH, WITH THE HUBBLE TELESCOPE.
OCEANS AND CONTINENTS HAVE A COMPLEX EFFECT ON EARTH'S WEATHER. IT MIGHT HELP TO STUDY WEATHER ON OTHER PLANETS LIKE JUPITER OR NEPTUNE, GAS GIANTS WITH NO OCEANS OR SOLID SURFACES TO CONFUSE MATTERS.
SPACE TECHNOLOGY CAN HELP US GET THE "BIG PICTURE" AS IN THESE SPACE SHUTTLE STUDIES OF LIGHTNING.
THE HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE FUNCTIONS AS AN INTERPLANETARY WEATHER SATELLITE WHEN IT LOOKS AT THE OTHER PLANETS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. IT HAS ALREADY SHOWN US LARGE-SCALE, LONG-TERM PHENOMENA THAT MAY ALSO ILLUMINATE EARTH'S CLIMATE.
HST IMAGES OF MARS REVEAL AN AVERAGE DROP OF 20 DEGREES IN TEMPERATURE SINCE VIKING LANDED IN 1976. ON EARTH, SUCH FLUCTUATIONS WOULD BE DISASTROUS...
JUPITER'S GREAT RED SPOT IS A CLOUD COMPLEX LARGE ENOUGH TO SWALLOW EARTH... AND IT'S BEEN AROUND FOR OVER 300 YEARS: WHAT EXPLAINS ITS LONG LIFE?
THESE HST SEQUENCES SHOW A STORM ON SATURN THAT SEEMS TO OCCUR DURING THAT PLANET'S "SUMMER SOLSTICE", LIKE SEASONAL STORMS ON EARTH, MONSOONS OR HURRICANES....
LOOKING BACK AT US, WOULD SOME DISTANT ASTRONOMER CALL THIS EARTH'S "GREAT WHITE SPOT?"
WE'VE BEEN STUDYING EARTH'S WEATHER FROM SPACE FOR NEARLY 30 YEARS... BUT THAT'S LESS THAT ONE OF SATURN'S YEARS... AND NOT EVEN A "SEASON" FOR THE MORE DISTANT PLANETS.
LOOKING FAR AWAY AND LONG-TERM WE MAY FINALLY HAVE BETTER ANSWERS TO THAT TIMELESS QUESTION... "WHAT'S THE WEATHER GONNA BE TOMORROW?"
14. ASTRONOMY AND WEATHER: LIVE/STScI/PBG/LA (03:00)
SASHA:
BUT WHAT'S "WEATHER" GOT TO DO WITH "ASTRONOMY",
MARC AND HEIDI?
MARC:
quick answer...
HEIDI:
quick answer...
BILL:
OK, A QUESTION FROM PITTSBURGH...
PITTSBURGH KID:
weather question?
MARC >OR< HEIDI:
answers...
BILL:
COME IN, LOS ANGELES
LA KID:
weather question?
MARC >OR< HEIDI:
answers...
BRIAN: to a kid in STScI:
WHAT'S YOUR QUESTION ABOUT INTERPLANETARY WEATHER?
STScI KID:
weather question?
MARC >OR< HEIDI:
answers...
15. QUESTIONS BY E-MAIL AND FAX: LIVE/STScI (00:30)
SASHA and BRIAN over graphics: "during the LIVE broadcast
ONLY!"
SASHA:
NOW YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE AT OUR LIVE UPLINK SITES TO
INTERACT WITH MARC AND HEIDI.
DURING TODAY'S LIVE BROADCAST >ONLY<, YOU CAN SEND E-
MAIL TO:
graphic
ONAIR-DASH OR HYPHEN-HST@QUEST.ARC.NASA.GOV
graphic
OR, IF YOU HAVE NO INTERNET ACCESS, YOU CAN SEND A FAX
TO:
410.338.5075
REMEMBER THAT'S >ONLY< DURING THIS LIVE BROADCAST...
BILL:
A LITTLE LATER, WE'LL TELL YOU HOW YOU CAN CONTINUE
INTERACTING EVEN AFTER OUR BROADCAST IS OVER...
chapter graphic: THE NEPTUNE RESULTS highlighted
BUT NOW, THE SECOND PART OF TODAY'S PROGRAM LOOKS AT
WHAT WE FOUND WITH THE TWO HUBBLE ORBITS DEDICATED
TO NEPTUNE, HEIDI HAMMEL'S PLANET.
